Like Ontario public high school students, their younger cohorts in elementary schools will begin the new academic year on time – for now.

Unlike the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, that’s accepted to negotiate until the end of October and send outstanding issues to binding arbitration, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation is filing for conciliation.

President Karen Brown says first, the issues important to her members are different from those in secondary schools.

Secondly, after a year of bargaining ”without sufficient progress,” Brown says negotiations are at a standstill.

ETFO plans to hold strike votes mid-September and mid-October. 

If there’s no agreement during conciliation, a ”no-board” notice will be issued, and the countdown will begin to a legal strike or job action.